​

The UTC oversees energy conservation services offered by regulated utilities. Conservation is defined as any reduction in energy consumption resulting from increases in the efficiency of energy use, production, or distribution. 

UTC staff review the development of conservation potential assessments, which use a variety of data sources to estimate how much conservation is available in the current building stock. UTC staff attend advisory group meetings and review conservation program designs, the setting of savings targets and development of budgets. Electric aMW savings targets are set through the Biennial Conservation Plan filings, and natural gas therm savings targets are set through the IRP process. UTC staff then review annual and semi-annual reports on conservation spending and conservation savings, and cost-effectiveness of conservation acquisition. 

 
 
2011 Annual Conservation Plan for WA Utilities
 
 
 
Company
 
 
aMW
 
Million Therms
Electric Budget (Million $)
 
Gas Budget (Million $)
 
 
Source
 
Avista Corporation
 
6.9
 
1.6
 
15.0
 
5.4
 
1
 
Cascade Natural Gas
 
n/a
 
 0.7
 
n/a
 
4.1
 
2
 
Northwest Natural
 
 n/a
 
0.2
 
n/a
 
0.9
 
3
 
Pacific Power & Light
 
 4.2
 
n/a
 
8.6
 
n/a
 
4
 
Puget Sound Energy
 
 38.8
 
 4.7
 
90.8
 
 19.3
 
5
 
Total
 
 49.9
 
 7.3
 
114.4 
 
 29.8
 

 

Source

  1. 2012 Demand Side Mangagment Business Plan document Revised, UE-111882, PP. 55, 59, and 66 (12/07/2011).
  2. 2010 Integrated Resource Plan, UG-091967, P. 62 (12/15/2010). Budgeted expense estimated using 2009 actual cost per therm of approximately $5.77/therm.
  3. 2012 Energy Efficiency Plan, UG-112068, P.7 (12/01/11). Budgeted expense estimated for first year of less than $6.50 per them.
  4. Demand Side Management Business Plan, UE-111880, P.4 (01/31/2012).
  5. Biennial Conservation Plan, UE-100881, P.2 (10/28/2011).